The invention relates generally to sign making apparatus and processes and deals more particularly with a microprocessor based sign making apparatus and method to determine an aesthetically pleasing spacing between lines of text in a sign, and, if wanted, a balanced, aesthetically pleasing margin to surround the sign text, based on text line heights and other parameters selected by an operator. The invention also relates to such an apparatus and method including provision to instantaneously vary the spacing between lines of text and the margin sizes in a balanced fashion at the touch of a button according to the desire of an operator to provide a more open or tighter appearing sign.
A sign maker is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,467,525 to Logan and Sullivan, which patent issued on Aug. 28, 1984, is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and is hereby incorporated by reference as part of the present disclosure. The sign maker disclosed in the patent comprises a web feeding apparatus, a tool to selectively plot sign characters on or cut sign characters from a web, and a computer programmed to direct the cutting and plotting operations according to data input by an operator. During such data entry, the operator specifies a font (type style), one or more lines of sign text, a height for each line, and a vertical spacing between successive lines. The font provides the character shapes, the width of each character and the spacing between characters. As an optional feature, the operator may enter into the computer a forced line length for the line of text in which case the computer scales the character widths and spacing between characters.
Next, the operator may direct the computer to plot the sign on a web made of paper to check the appearance of the sign and, if he or she is dissatisfied, can enter new data into the computer to provide a different layout or appearance for the sign. After the operator becomes satisfied with the sign layout, he or she may substitute sign making stock and direct the computer to cause the tool to cut out the sign characters. Next, an operator may apply an adhesive sheet of clear plastic to the cut sign characters, after removing or weeding adjacent waste pieces, to extract the characters and to then apply them in the existing spaced relation to a sign base to provide a finished sign.
It has proven difficult and time consuming for many operators to select parameters to yield a finished sign in which the spacing between lines of text is balanced relative to the lines and to the surrounding margins, if any, and in which the interline spacing and margins also provide a desired level of the openness or tightness in the final sign appearance.
An automatic engraving apparatus previously known comprises an engraving tool, a drive assembly adapted for moving the tool and an engraving plate relative to one another in an X-Y plane corresponding to the shape of engraved characters or designs and a computer programmed to control the relative movements. According to one mode of operation, an operator enters into the computer the engraving plate size, the number of lines of text, the text per line, the line heights and optionally may set a margin size. Then, the computer automatically lays-out the sign according to the following algorithm. It first calculates upper, lower and side margin sizes as a fixed percentage of the plate height. Then if necessary it condenses each of the lines an equal percentage so that the longest line fits between the previously determined left and right margins. Next, the computer positions the top and bottom lines against the upper and lower margins, respectively, and equally spaces the other lines of text in the remaining area.
This layout does not always provide balance between the interline spacing and the margins because it ignores the need to provide space above and below each line proportional to the height of that line. Also, it is difficult to specify, without experimentation, the line height and margin parameters needed to yield an engraved plate with a desired level of openness.
Next, the layout in nonalphanumeric, blocked form is displayed on a CRT and the operator has an opportunity to alter the layout by programming the computer to independently expand or condense any one or all of the lines and also to independently change the vertical spacing between the lines of text. Because of the fixed plate sizes and number of variables, this is a time consuming and difficult process which often requires many iterations of trial and error and much operator expertise.
Accordingly, a general object of the present invention is to provide a sign making apparatus and related method which automatically lays-out a sign containing one or more lines of text based on operator selected line heights or other parameters to provide an aesthetically pleasing, balanced sign appearance.
Another general object is to provide the operator with the capability at the touch of a button to alter the spacing between lines of text and the size of margins in an aesthetically pleasing, balanced manner to make the sign appear more or less open as desired without the need to perform any calculations.